Although the Red Hot Chili Peppers have always seemed better suited for burning down the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame than joining it, they'll do just that in a couple of weeks. But first, they kicked off a massive spring tour at the Tampa Bay Times Forum in Tampa on Thursday, mixing a bit of politics (the guys wore hoodies onstage in support of Trayvon Martin) with the raucous funk that is their trademark.

Sean Daly was among the crowd of 12,882, and he writes:

Riding Flea's meaty grooves, RHCP dutifully chugged through the goodies like the elder statesmen they've become. "Hey Flea, this is one of my favorite songs to dance to," said the 49-year-old Kiedis. "But since I have a [bleeped] up foot, I need you to dance for me." And with that, they spat out the new Look Around, during which no one really danced much at all. Suck My Kiss is no longer as nasty as it wants to be, but it's still a raucously fun song.

To juice the drama, video screens were everywhere, including, wildly enough, the stage itself plus shape-shifting gizmos that expanded overhead like something out of The Matrix. The show lost momentum in its midsection— Under the Bridge has always been a dull moaner — but the place just about exploded for a trademark take on Stevie Wonder's Higher Ground.

For Sean Daly's full review of the Red Hot Chili Peppers in Tampa, click here. And get more of Luis Santana's photos (including a cameo by Tampa Bay Ray Evan Longoria, who was sitting near the front) after the jump.